(18-20 Ferdinand Bolstraat in Amsterdam, Netherlands)

18twintig is Nederlands for 1820, but this smart Amsterdam restaurant’s design is now now now. A pe...rfect place to restore your appetite and your fine-design-quotient after a visit to the Heineken Brewery, 18twintig is one hip bar, lounge and restaurant. The sensuously undulating banquettes in the bar, the subtle periwinkle and iris seating against the chocolate tiles and fair wood, the decadent chandeliers all add up to one inviting spot to dine, drink and enjoy. The changing menu is Mediterranean, inventive and confident, with dishes like starter of oxtail consommé with a veal cheek raviolo, main course of fried pike perch with ceps, light puree of anchovy and courgette tart, and dessert of red wine and crème de cassis parfait with blueberries. The cheese trolley is rather special here. And the Meeting 18twintig service will help you organise your presentation or gathering with sound system, flipcharts, projectors etc during the day followed by very good private dining for the evening. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Thu 6pm - 1am Fri & Sat 6pm - 3am Sun: closed all day [moreless]

(25 Amsteldijk in Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Altmann restaurant just beyond Amsterdam’s downtown, a stone’s throw across the Amstel river from th...e Amstel Hotel, is a chart-topping spot to see and be seen. Set in a big 19th century corner building, Altmann’s décor is sexy, luxurious and modern – lots of creamy walls, chocolate banquettes and enough candles to light St Paul’s. So smart, some call this restaurant ‘London on the Amstel’. Host Arne Altmann is on the scene, setting the tone of relaxation and fine personal service. For VIPs at heart, there’s a raised platform at the heart of the restaurant with just four tables for Olympic-level posing. Chef Mohammed Mahraoui earned his stars at Amsterdam’s Blakes and is working culinary magic here, too. Try starter of ricotta tomato cakes with gazpacho of tomato and basil, main course of Mahraoui’s own tagine of lamb, sweet potato, preserved lemons and coriander and dessert of espresso milkshake with vanilla ice cream, Baileys and bitter chocolate. Private groups up to ninety trendsetters can gather themselves in this special place. Valet parking. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sat 6pm - 12am Sun: closed all day [moreless]

(108 Elandsgracht in Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Balthazars Keuken restaurant in the heart of the Jordaan district is one of Amsterdam’s most special... restaurants. It is a long, narrow space set in a former smithy, with scrubbed wooden floors, an open kitchen with pans and utensils hanging in plain view. The moss-coloured banquettes, unadorned wooden seating, and plain white table linens add to the ambience of simplicity and relaxation. And it’s tiny, seating just about 30 inside and a few more on the bijou terrace in fine weather. ‘Romantic’ must be Balthazar’s middle name, in spite of the plain surroundings. Owners Karen Gaasterland and Alain Parry create internationally-inflected three-course fixed-price dinners, with a menu that changes every week. They create. You enjoy. No choice about the dishes, though. The starters are tidbits meant to appeal to all. The mains are perfectly-sourced fish or meat with sides. House wine is from the Languedoc, chosen to complement the Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. Dinner only Wednesday through Friday. Groups up to ten can dine in the restaurant then, or hire the entire venue for private events during the rest of the week. Very popular, very packed. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required for bookings of 6 people or more, absolutely no money will be charged to your card, this is just to secure the booking. Opening hours: Wed - Fri 6pm - 10pm(Sittings at 6:30pm and 9:15pm) [moreless]

(22-24 Wolvenstraat in Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Barok restaurant in Amsterdam’s buzzing Nine Streets district has an interior to please almost every...one. As its name implies, the theme is baroque, but in bright, modern colours with a lounge-y feel – one diner called it Mozart on absinthe. Button-tufted wall coverings in pale persimmon absorb conversation above pale chartreuse leather banquettes while on another level the chocolate walls complement creamy wood paneling and scroll-backed chairs. Three levels and an open kitchen create a cosy ambience and excellent spaces for private dining, from a dozen diners upstairs to 40 seated at the open kitchen level to 75 seated throughout the restaurant. The international menu is stylish too, with a foundation of classic techniques overlaid with sprightly invention and served with real style. Try starter of vodka-oyster shooter, main of skate wing with grilled radicchio, mash and Zaanse mustard sauce, and dessert of warm stewed pears with anise and pear ice cream and Frangelico foam. Terrace available for warm weather. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Barok is open for lunch on request and only for large groups. Opening hours: Sun - Wed 6pm - 10pm Thu - Sat 6pm - 11pm Open for lunch on request and only for large groups [moreless]

(141 Utrechtsedwarsstraat in Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Restaurant Beddington’s? Book early. One of Amsterdam’s most beloved and lauded chef/owners, Englis...h-born Jean Beddington creates her magic nightly in a beautifully austere setting that is always packed out with devoted diners. The décor is smart and sleekly modern in a two-tone palette – black and white – that lets the food take centre stage. An open kitchen lets you in on the action – the creation of her personal French-based cuisine that includes strong influences from her years in Japan, her English roots, and everything else that she has experienced. A short menu of three or four courses changes each day. Recent dishes included starter of Gillardeau oysters on granite of cucumber, spring onion and Japanese ginger with bean sprout/wakame salad, main course of slow-roasted Baambrugs pork belly with cavolo nero, sage sauce and mushroom/black pudding beignet, and dessert of cannoli with goat’s milk ricotta, buttermilk panna cotta, gentian sorbet and blueberries. Short, international wine list. A short skip from museums and the Concertgebouw. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Tue - Sat 7pm - 10pm Sun - Mon: closed all day [moreless]

(33 Marie Heinekenplein in Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Café Kale de Grote restaurant right on Amsterdam’s charming Marie Heinekenplein is an eaterie of two... parts. Inside, the ambience is subdued and antique, with brown walls, low beamed ceilings, lamps hanging just over the bar and tables, blackboard specials, book-lined walls, candlelight, wooden floors, seating and tables, and a general air of relaxation and cosiness. Outside, the feel is lively, with an acre of wooden tables and chairs under scarlet umbrellas spreading over the square in the bright sunshine. This is a fine place for light meals like filled rolls and tortilla wraps, salads and pasta dishes, and full meals from the daily specials board. Groups are well catered for in this large restaurant with their own attractively-priced menus including dishes like light tomato soup with basil and croutons, grilled entrecote of beef with soy, sesame, shiitake sauce, and warm tart tatin with vanilla ice cream. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Sun - Thu 10am - 1am Fri - Sat 10am - 2am [moreless]

(46 Leliegracht in Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Christophe', the exquisite French restaurant, is one of Amsterdam’s don’t-miss experiences. It’s be...en an elegant highlight of the Jordaan dining scene for twenty years and has had a Michelin star for the past ten. When chef-owner Jean-Christophe' Royer recently left to seek new mountains to climb, Dutch gastronomes held their collective breath. Christophe’s long-time sommelier Ellen Mansfield and chef of fifteen years Jean-Joel Bonsens have assumed the Christophe' mantel. Early reports are very reassuring. The dining rooms have enjoyed a makeover in keeping with Ellen and Jean-Joel’s vision, but retain a luxurious and stylish ambience. Groups up to 50 are accommodated for sophisticated parties and celebrations. The new menu retains some of the favourite creations of the old, inventive French dishes from the Southwest touched with the flavours of Royer’s childhood in Algeria. Dishes include starter of soup of sweet corn and crispy sweetbreads of veal, main course of wrapped filet of cod and merguez sausage wit preserved Cevennes onions and salad of tomatoes, reduction of red wine and vinegar, and dessert of clafoutis of fresh figs with granite of thyme. The wine list is celebrated and the gastronomes are breathing easily. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Tue - Sat 6:30pm - 11:30pm Mon - Sun: closed all day [moreless]

(294-302 Spuistraat in Amsterdam, Netherlands)

D’Vijff Vlieghen – it means ‘The Five Flies’ – restaurant in medieval Amsterdam is a landmark, full ...to bursting with everyone from business diners to tourist busloads to couples who love it. The nine dining rooms ramble over five classic 17th century townhouses, each dining room a different expression of the Dutch Golden Age. The Rembrandt Room features etchings, the Knights’ Hall a collection of armour and so forth. Groups can book different rooms or hire the whole amazing place to seat up to 300. The founder, one Nicolaas Kroese, started it all in 1939. He had gigantic charisma that attracted attention from everywhere. Plaques on the chairs commemorate past guests: Walt Disney, Gianni Versace, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis. Chef Tom Houtkoop creates exciting New Dutch cuisine dishes, using mainly organic veg and other respectful sourcing, presenting a la carte, seasonal, vegetarian five-course, and tasting menus. Dishes might include starter of brandade of stewed eel with grilled courgette and fried langoustine, main of casserole of spring chicken served in a sauce of Hoeve Nekum wine and chervil and dessert of mocha tartlet with crispy meringue and fennel chips. Finish with a typical jenever. There’s no more famous restaurant on the Spui.Please note this restaurant is completely non-smoking. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Please note that this restaurant will open for lunch for groups of 20 people or more. Please be aware that in case of a delay you need to notify the restaurant immediately, or your table will be given away after 30 minutes Opening hours: Mon - Sun 5:30pm - 10pm Every chair in the restaurant carries a small copper plate engraved with the name of a famous guest who once visited the restaurant. Past guests include:Walt Disney, Gianni Versace, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis. [moreless]

(17 Guldehandsteeg in Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Arriving by train? De Compagnon restaurant in the very heart of Amsterdam’s old city is five stroll...ing minutes from Centraal Station – and it’s worth finding. Down a side alley, De Compagnon seats just 35 diners over three floors with windows and doors that open onto the water of Damrak. Small it may be, but the effect is light and airy, comfortable and cosy. Bert van Buschbach is in the kitchen, creating traditionally-styled French/Burgundian cuisine while Sara van Buschbach’s domain is the front of house and the superb and celebrated French wine list. Meeting facilities are terrific: a private room seating up to 12 and a wine cellar that can accommodate parties up to 20. Private dining here means your own waiter and chef too. Dishes include starter of salad of sautéed scallops crumbed in dried ceps, main course of whole fried guinea fowl with creamy truffle sauce and sliced fresh truffled (for two) and red fruit with curds and red fruit sorbet for dessert. Of the 300 wines, about 200 are listed at under euros 50, with a very nice selection of half bottles. On arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Fri 12pm - 2pm & 6pm - 10pm Sat 6pm – 10pm Sun: closed all day Ravioli, stuffed with munster cheese, served in a tomato stock [moreless]

(29 Frans Halsstraat in Amsterdam, Netherlands)

De Waaghals restaurant lies a short stroll from the heart of Amsterdam’s museum district, in De Pijp..., a bit off the tourist path. For twenty-five years it has attracted scads of devoted diners from all over for its top-notch vegetarian cuisine. The décor is smartly white and bright, drenched with sunlight, with red and wood-toned fittings. A changing array of art lines the walls, celebrating other cultures or displaying the beauty of nature and its creatures. Each month the menu features the cuisine of a different country – often related to the artwork -- alongside the Classic, vegan and children’s menus. Recent offerings included specialities of Portuguese pea, courgette and mint omelet and ‘hammered potatoes’. De Waaghals classic dishes include fresh artichoke with herb mayo, mushroom risotto with parmesan, grilled aubergine with tomato sauce, and vegan banana pie. The ingredients are as organic as is humanly possible, as is the wine and (often local) beer list. Even the coffee and loo roll are biologically sound. In summer the lovely, small garden comes into use. De Waaghals’ ambience is informal, relaxed and very, very friendly. On arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via Toptable. Opening hours: Tue - Sun 5pm - 11pm Mon: closed all day In 2006 they have celebrated their 25th Anniversary [moreless]